USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1928-1929 > Part 12
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113 43
Stephen Doten,
113 16
Ellen D. Howard,
80 65
Bramhall Fund,
178 43
Thomas Jackson,
109 87
Emma S. Hall,
113 94
Douglas-Hodges,
129 50
Churchill-Harlow,
170 30
Benjamin and Bessie Weston,
57 60
George Finney,
107 73
Horace C. Whitten,
102 06
Edward L. Robbins,
220 11
Henry Buhman,
114 29
John Krins,
116 83
Addie E. Douglas,
114 98
Frederick M. Atwood,
172 64
Ellis Whiting,
108 25
Charles Rogers,
79 60
Helen F. Hedge,
220 25
Robert H. and Rebecca Barnes,
150 28
Charles S. Purinton,
343 46
Isaac H. Valler,
123 05
Esther Hollis,
467 83
-- 251-
Edward W. Baker,
194 87
Elizabeth A. Howland,
233 06
Harriet E. McFall,
162 14
George E. Randall,
161 01
James H. and James E. Clark lots,
220 88
Eliza G. Hall,
222 62
Emma W. Hedge,
215 04
John Fratus,
161 57
Mary E. Fuller,
106 35
Thomas Pierce,
155 11
Alfred L. Bartlett,
213 47
Martha S. Brewster,
108 16
Henry E. Maynard,
108 17
Edward H. Thompson,
106 05
Benjamin Drew,
165 55
Mary McLeod,
223 14
Catherine B. Morrison,
109 25
Lucy C. Nelson,
221 47
Philip Rudolph,
104 81
Eugenia Lothrop,
107 01
Lucia S. Griffin,
103 22
Anna B. Humphrey,
101 80
Mercie F. Morse,
107 12
Anna M. Shepard,
319 41
Martha A. Morton,
103 07
Nellie E. McCloskey,
216 85
Johnson Davee, May and Simmons,
214 57
J. Sumner Wood,
107 42
Frank Quartz,
214 95
Clarence W. Burgess,
165 11
Emma F. Caldwell,
266 05
Aaron Sampson,
107 46
Robert Thom,
103 08
Ella Bugbee Lee,
104 98
Sophia P. Mawbey,
103 52
Nathan S. Torrance,
106 85
-252-
Anthony Atwood,
210 48
Thelma Weston,
210 22
Robert and Mary McKinnon,
102 78
Chas. G. Burgess,
410 22
Sarah A. Bartlett,
100 16
Elizabeth S. McHenry,
102 26
Anna V. Robbins,
100 00
Job Churchill,
202 10
Job Churchill (Burial Hill)
203 90
Abner H. Harlow,
250 24
Rufus Sampson,
101 50
Phineas Wells,
101 50
William B. Taylor,
200 00
John F. Raymond,
100 00
Oliver S. Holmes,
150 00
William Sykes,
100 00
Henry Armstrong,
100 00
Allen T. Bagnell,
200 00
Frank Rogers,
100 00
William Hodgkins,
150 00
Mary B. Shepard,
150 00
Alexander A. Robbins,
100 00
Chandler Holmes,
100 00
Albert Ludgren,
100 00
Ignatius F. Pierce,
150 00
Lucy L. Hoxie,
66 00
Harriet A. Shaw,
100 00
Frank Ellis,
150 00
Harriet A. Corey,
125 00
Total Plymouth Savings Bank, $30,808 67
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ST. JOSEPH'S CEMETERY FUND Deposited in Plymouth Savings Bank, $117 82
DEPOSITED WITH STATE TREASURER Phoebe R. Clifford Fund, 200 00
Total Cemetery Perpetual Care Funds,
$72,731 25
NATHANIEL MORTON PARK FUND Plymouth Savings Bank, $2,000 00
MURDOCK POOR AND SCHOOL FUND Plymouth Savings Bank, $730 00
FRANCIS LEBARON POOR FUND
Plymouth Five Cents Savings Bank,
$675 00
Plymouth Savings Bank, 675 00
CHARLES HOLMES POOR FUND
Plymouth Five Cents Savings Bank,
$500 00
JULIA P. ROBINSON POOR FUND
Plymouth Five Cents Savings Bank, $300 00
WARREN BURIAL HILL CEMETERY FUND Plymouth Savings Bank, $1,501 09
Plymouth Five Cents Savings Bank,
168 25
MARCIA E. JACKSON GATES PUBLIC LIBRARY FUND
Plymouth Savings Bank,
$1,000 00
Plymouth Five Cents Savings Bank,
1,000 00
OLD COLONY NATIONAL BANK STOCK INVESTMENT FUND
Old Colony National Bank Stock,
$5,000 00
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SCHEDULE J
Valuation for 1926 less abatements on $125,950,
$25,746,475
Valuation for 1927 less abatements on 290,000, 26,447,375
Valuation for 1928 less abatements on 85,775, 25,266,550
Total,
Average, 3%,
$77,460,400 25,820,133
774,600
Total Debt incurred and outstanding, $422,333
Less :
Plym. County Hospital Loan
(Acts 1916, Chap. 266), $15,000
Water Loans,
35,333
Total Debt outside limit,
50,333
Total outstanding within debt limit, 372,000
Borrowing Capacity, January 1, 1929, $402,600
-255-
APPROPRIATIONS ON WARRANT FOR ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
MARCH 23, 1929
Selectmen's Department,
$3,250 00
Accounting Department,
2,550 00
Treasury Department,
2,050 00
Tax Collector's Department,
3,200 00
Assessors' Department,
7,000 00
Assessors' Plans,
Law Department,
1,200 00
Town Clerk's Department,
1,700 00
Engineering Department,
1,000 00
Planning Board,
Election and Registration,
800 00
Maintenance of Town House,
3,000 00
Maintenance of Town Hall,
7,000 00
Relaying Main Floor in Town Hall,
4,000 00
Police Department,
31,500 00
Fire Department,
36,054 00
Sealing Weights and Measures,
2,700 00
Moth Suppression,
5,000 00
Tree Warden's Department,
2,500 00
Forest Warden's Department,
4,000 00
Inland Fisheries,
300 00
Plymouth County Hospital Maintenance,
8,947 81
Public Sanitaries,
4.000 00
S'ewers,
6,000.00
Street Cleaning,
5,000 00
Roads and Bridges,
40,000 00
Hard-Surfacing Streets,
7,500 00
Land and Property Damages on State Highway from Jabez Corner to Manomet,
6,000 00
Gurnet Bridge Tax, 977 70
-256-
Sidewalks,
7,000 00
Sidewalks: Granolithic,
6,000 00
Health Department,
18,000 00
Snow and Ice Removal,
5,000 00
Street Sprinkling,
6,000 00
Street Lighting,
19,000 00
Harbor Master,
450 00
Pensions for Town Laborers,
1,325 00
Public Welfare, Including Mothers' Aid,
32,000 00
Public Welfare, for 1928 Bills,
3,554 51
Soldiers' Benefits,
8,500 00
School Department,
252,000 00
School Department, for Travelling Expenses
Outside the Commonwealth, for the Year 1930, 250 00
Sexton, 200 00
Miscellaneous Account,
3,200 00
Water Department, Maintenance,
28,000 00
Water Department, Construction, 5,000 00
Oak Grove and Vine Hills Cemeteries,
11,500 00
Oak Grove and Vine Hills Cemeteries, for Surfacing Drives and Paths, 1,500 00
Burial Hill Cemetery,
2,000 00
Chiltonville, Manomet, Cedarville and South Pond Cemeteries,
300 00
Town Debt and Interest,
78,000 00
Total for Article 5,
$686,009 02
Art. 6. Plymouth Public Library,
9,000 00
Art. 7. Manomet Public Library,
750 00
Art. 8. Park Department, for Parks,
Training Green and Public Camp- ing Place, 10,100 00
Art. 9. Park Department, for Playgrounds, 6,700 00
Art. 10. New Bleachers and Bandstand for Stephens Field Playground, 2,700 00
-257-
ยท
Art. 11. New Public Sanitary at White Horse, 2,000 00
Art. 12. Smallpox expense, 1928, 353 23
Art. 13. Fire Alarm System,
10,000 00
Art. 15. Inspection of Buildings,
1,000 00
Art. 16.
Plymouth County Aid to Agricul-
ture,
300 00
Art. 17. Rifle Range Expenses, 200 00
Art. 18. Town Forest,
2,000 00
Art. 19. New High School Building,
40,000 00
Art. 20 Acquiring Land on Union Street, for School Purposes, 7,500 00
Art. 21. Acquiring Land on Bradford Street, for School Purposes, 1,200 00
Art. 22. Acquiring all the Property of the Plymouth Mills,
10,000 00
Art. 23. New Roller and Truck for High- way Department, 6,050 00
Art. 24. Repairs and Resurfacing on Court, Main and Sandwich Streets, 1928, 8,323.30
Art. 25. Resurfacing Court Street, from Chilton to Samoset Streets, 2,500 00
Art. 26. Brookside Avenue, Surfacing and Improvement, 2,500 00
Art. 27. Relocation of Westerly Line of Main St., Land Damage and Ex- pense, 1,850 00
Art. 28. Manomet Avenue, Construction and Surface, 1,000 00
Art. 29. McKinley Road, Walnut Street and Harding Avenue, Construc- tion and Surfacing, 2,000 00
Art. 31. Shore Road, Hard-Surfacing, 2,500 00
Art. 32. Surfacing Road from Bourne-
Plymouth Line, to Red Brook Bridge, 3,500 00
Art. 33. Head of the Bay Road, 1,500 00 Art. 34. Hard-Surfacing at Chiltonville, 7,000 00
Plymouth Seventeen
-258-
Art. 39. Survey for Water System at
Manomet, 1,500 00
Art. 41. Water Tanks at Manomet,
500 00
Art. 43.
Additional Manomet, Chiltonville
and Cedarville Cemeteries,
600 00
Art. 45. Memorial Day Observance, 550 00
Art. 46. July Fourth and Forefathers' Day, 2,400 00
Art. 47. Band Concerts, 500 00
Total Appropriations on 1929 Warrant,
$834,585 55
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INDEX
Abstracts of Records of 1928 6
Appropriations on Warrant for Annual Town Meeting 255
Assessors' Report 94
Balance Sheet 236
Births
55
Board of Health
119
Bonds
241
Building Inspector
138
Cemetery Department 135
Cemetery Funds
242
Deaths
62
Fire Commissioner 129
Forest Fire Warden
148
Forestry Committee
149
Inland Fisheries
152
Inspector of Milk 126
Inspector of Plumbing 128
Inspector of Slaughtering 125
153
Licenses Issued
71
Marriages
46
Measurer of Wood and Bark
145
Moth Suppression
146
Park Commissioners
114
Playgrounds
114
Plymouth County Extension Service
151
Police Department
89
Public Library
102
Public Welfare Report
97
Report of Advisory and Finance Committee
17
Report of Supt. of Streets and Town Engineer 38
Report of Town Clerk 45
School Report opp.
260
Sealer of Weights and Measures 139
Selectmen's Report
33
Town Accountant
3
Town Officers, 1928
117
Town Planning Board
Water Commissioners 73
147
Tree Warden 157
Special index for school reports at the end of the School Report
Jurors
SCHOOL REPORT
PLYMOUTH
1620.
ON
y
28-5-
M. ANDERSON 31
-3-
SCHOOL CALENDAR, 1929
Winter Term,
Begins Wednesday, Jan. 2-ends Friday, April 26 Recess-Friday, Feb. 22, thru Friday March 1
Holiday : Friday, April 19
Spring Term,
Begins Monday, May 6-ends Wednesday, June 26 Holiday : Thursday, May 30
Fall Term,
Begins Wednesday, Sept. 4-ends Friday, Dec. 20
Holidays : Monday, Nov. 11-Armistice Day Thanksgiving Recess-Nov. 27-29 inclusive Teachers' Convention Visiting Day
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL 2-2 On Fire Alarm Code
At 7.15-for Junior and Senior High Schools.
At 8.15-for Grades I-VI-no school for morning ses- sion.
At 11.15-One session, Grade Schools closing at 12.30.
At 12.15-for Grades I to VI-no school for afternoon session.
-4-
SCHOOL DIRECTORY
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Frederick D. Bartlett, Chairman,
Term Expires 1931
Fannie T. Rowell, Secretary,
1930
Edward R. Belcher,
1929
Dr. Harold E. Donovan,
1930
Albert L. Mellor, 1929
A. Perry Richards, 1931
The regular meetings of the School Committee are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.
Superintendent of Schools, Anson B. Handy
Office hours of the Superintendent of Schools, 8.00 to 9.00 a. m., and 4.00 to 5.00 p. m. every school day, except as special duties may prevent. Special appointments may be made at other times.
Office Secretary, Alice M. Murphy
Office open from 8.30 to 12 a. m. and 1.15 to 5.00 p. m. every school day. Saturdays, 10-12 a. m. Every Mon- day, 7.00 to 7.30 p. m.
Supervisor of Attendance, John Armstrong
-5-
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
In accordance with last year's report there was pre- sented to the Town at the 1928 Annual Town Meeting, a plan for an addition to the Junior High School building to relieve the congested conditions at both the Junior and Senior High Schools.
This plan provided additional class rooms, lunch room, assembly hall, gymnasium, and a central heating plant capable of taking care of both High Schools. It con- templated the continued use of the present Senior High School building for the three upper classes, with some rearrangement of room and improved ventilating facili- ties, the assembly hall, gymnasium and lunch room to be used by both schools.
The Town did not approve the project and it has, therefore, been necessary to operate the two schools with the limited facilities available.
The enrollment at the Senior High School, beginning with the current school years, is much larger than the capacity of the building, and prohibits operation in the usual way, viz., a single session from 8 to 1 for all four classes.
This has obliged having the freshman class attend in the afternoon from 12.45 to 4.30, the other three classes attending from 8 to 12.30.
Under these conditions the freshmen are losing more than 25% of what has been the normal time in school, and the other three classes 10%.
By overcrowding (some rooms having 45 or more pupils) the Junior High School has been operated as heretofore, from 8 to 1, but that condition is unsatisfac- tory, and not conducive to good results.
The situation at the Senior High School makes neces- sary some addition to the teaching staff, more or less
-6-
overtime for other teachers, additional expense for heat, light, transportation, and janitor service, and is general- ly detrimental, those who can least afford it, the scholars, being the chief sufferers.
The details of the situation at those two schools will be found in the reports of the Superintendent and prin- cipals.
The Committee believes that existing conditions are detrimental to the best interests of the Town and should be remedied at the earliest practicable time.
With this in mind, conferences have been had with Mr. Cooper and Mr. Stebbins of the Frank Irving Cooper Corporation, Architects, and Professor Jesse B. Davis, the authors of last year's plan, and they are now work- ing on a plan to provide necessary relief and some al- lowance for growth.
There is no appropriation available to cover cost of plans and specifications in such detail as had last year, but sketches with approximate costs will be presented at the Annual Town Meeting, March 23rd, 1929, and it is the hope of the Committee that the Town will authorize it to construct the building.
The preparation of the sketches and estimates involve no expense.
At this time the plan is not far enough advanced to allow detailed description. It is, however, a modifica- tion of last year's plan, enlarged to accomodate both High Schools under one roof and thereby overcome the disadvantage due to the necessity of Senior High School pupils crossing the street to use such facilities as the assembly hall, gymnasium and lunch room, and allows a six year High School unit under one administrative head if and when found desirable.
Mr. William H. Raymond, janitor at the Mt. Pleasant School, after many years of very efficient service, re- signed on account of poor health and was succeeded by Mr. Nelson Cushing. Mr. Raymond has since died.
-7-
Mr. Nelson Pero, janitor at the Cold Spring and Alden St. Schools met with a fatal accident. Mr. John F. Mc- Ardle was appointed in his place.
Due to double sessions at the Senior High School, Mr. Fred J. Smith, assistant janitor, was relieved of the care of the South St. and Lincoln St. Schools, and Mr. A. Busi appointed as janitor.
A new band saw and a universal saw have been in- stalled in the manual training room at the Junior High School, cost about $600.00.
The playgrounds at the larger, lower grade schools, the Mt. Pleasant, Cornish and Burton, Knapp and Hedge, have been in a most unsatisfactory condition for a long time. Some experimental work has been done this year on the Cornish and Burton grounds, to give a surface adapted to such games as can be practised on the limited area available. The expense was about $700.00.
This work was done in accordance with the advice of Mr. Ernst Hermann, Superintendent of Playgrounds of the City of Newton, and under the direction of Mr. John B. Finney.
The new surface is a distinct improvement, and while its lasting quality can only be determined by time and use, it appears to offer a solution of some of the problems inherent in dirt playgrounds.
. The major items of maintenance and repairs with ap- proximate cost are as follows :
PAINTING
Hedge-All outside woodwork
painted one coat, and en-
trances two coats, $285 00
Mt. Pleasant-Three classrooms
renovated on second floor, 225 00
High-Assembly Hall renovated, 245 00
South Street - Entire second floor renovated, 165 00
Material for above items, 175 00
$1,095 00
-8-
ROOF REPAIRS
Knapp-South side of El in
rear covered with asphalt shingles, $129 50
Oak Street-85% of roof cov- ered with asphalt shingles, 350 00
Burton-65% of roof covered with asphalt shingles, 390 00
High-30% of roof covered
with asbestos shingles, 685 00
$1,554 50
GROUNDS
Knapp-Hard surfaced drive-
way from Court Street, $205 20
Oak Street-Grading playground, 202 53
Cornish-Hard surfaced play- ground, 717 63
$1,125 36
FENCING
Hedge-180 ft. on South side 5 ft. high, $238 00
Oak St .- 110 ft. on South side 5 ft. high, 163 00
High-266 ft. in rear 5 ft. high,
347 00
Wellingsley-123 ft. on street
side 4 ft. high, 146 00
Total, 679 feet, $894 00
PLUMBING
Cornish-New 6 inch cast iron sewer pipe from building to street sewer
Replacing Akron pipe which
bothered about roots, 400 00 400 00
-9-
High-A 2" brass supply pipe to fixtures in one half of building, replacing galvanized iron pipe, stopped up with scale. Two new sinks in low- er corridor and one in Room 27 used as laboratory, 387 11 387 11
South Street-Teachers' toilet, 50 00 50 00
RESURFACING BLACKBOARDS
6252 sq. ft. of Blackboard resurfaced at the Knapp, Oak Street, Cornish, Cold Spring, Lincoln Street, Burton, and Mt. Pleasant Schools, $903 72
MISCELLANEOUS
High-Better Lighting facilities,
$100 00
Hedge-New concrete steps, New Flagpole (steel)
50 00
100 00
Knapp-Radiators installed in two ante-rooms for use of Doctor and nurses, 116 00
CEDARVILLE
An addition 7'x22' added to rear of building to accommodate Kaustine toilets and coal and wood and four large steel sash in- stalled in west wall, 1,000 00
Total, $7,775 69
Respectfully submitted, FREDERICK D. BARTLETT, A. PERRY RICHARDS, ALBERT L. MELLOR, E. HAROLD DONOVAN, EDWARD R. BELCHER, FANNIE T. ROWELL,
School Committee.
-10-
FINANCIAL REPORT
RECEIPTS
Appropriation March, $249,000 00
Income from Trust Fund,
22 21
$249,022 21
PAYMENTS
General Expenses, $7,958 67
Teachers' Salaries,
156,666 04
Text Books & Supplies,
13,165 83
Transportation,
16,897 78
Janitor Service,
12,494 50
Fuel,
11,368 02
Repairs and Maintenance,
16,568 24
Equipment,
3,730 26
Medical Inspection,
7,300 61
Tuition,
1,279 76
Total,
$247,429 71
Unexpended Balance, $1,592 50
REIMBURSEMENTS
From the State for-
Teachers' Salaries,
$18,290 00
Americanization,
648 25
Tuition,
695 00
Miscellaneous,
288 66
Total, $19,921 91
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT BUDGET FOR 1929 General Expenses-
Superintendent's Salary, $4,500 00
Secretary,
1,500 00
Supervisor of Attendance, 300 00
Station, Postage & Print., 500 00
-11-
Telephone,
150 00
Traveling Expense,
250 00
Automobile Expense,
500 00
Freight and Express,
200 00
Schools Census,
250 00
All Other,
300 00
Teachers' Salaries-
Day,
$160,000 00
Evening,
2,000 00
Summer,
450 00
162,450 00
Text Books and Supplies-
Text and Reference Books,
$6,000 00
Paper, Blank Books, etc.,
4,000 00
Manual Train. Supplies,
800 00
Domestic Science,
500 00
Athletic Supplies,
250 00
All Other,
400 00
11,950 00
Tuition and Transportation,
2,000 00
Transportation,
18,500 00
Janitors' Services-
Day,
$13,000 00
Evening,
200 00
Watchmen, July 4th,
100 00
13,300 00
Fuel and Light-
Coal and Wood,
$11,500 00
Gas and Electricity,
1,500 00
13,000 00
Maintenance-
Salary of Building Supervisor, $2,600 00
General Repairs, 8,000 00
Flags and Flagstaffs,
150 00
Janitors' Supplies,
600 00
Telephones,
350 00
$8,450 00
-12-
Ashes, etc., removed, 500 00 All Other (Labor and ma- terial on grounds), 500 00
12,700 00
Furniture and Furnishings-
Desks and Chairs
Manual Training Equipment $1,000 00
All Other L
Typewriters, 600 00
1,600 00
Rent,
400 00
Diplomas and Graduation,
150 00
Medical Inspection-
Physician,
$1,800 00
Nurse and Assistant,
2,500 00
Dental Nurse,
1,400 00
Dental Clinic,
900 00
All Other,
900 00
7,500 00
Total,
$252,000 00
School Department Traveling Expenses out- side of Massachusetts for year 1930, $250 00
-13-
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the School Committee :
I herewith submit to you my third annual report as Superintendent of Schools. It consists to a large extent of extracts from the reports submitted to me by the prin- cipals and supervisors, and is an attempt to show, first the serious conditions in the junior and senior high schools, secondly, some results of tests in the fundamental studies, and thirdly, some of the newer and special phases of activities carried on in the schools.
The most serious problem confronting not only the Plymouth schools, but all the schools of the United States is the developing of a program of education fitted to meet the diverse needs of all the children of all the peo- ple. It touches upon every phase of school activity ; the buildings and their equipment, the extent of the funda- mentals, the breadth of the curricula, the type of subject matter and the rate of progress.
CONDITIONS IN JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS
During the past two years many of the over-age pupils have been advanced from the fifth and sixth grades to the junior high school and from the latter to the senior high. Many of these have neither mastered the difficul- ties of technical grammar, nor the complicated mathe- matical problems and yet they know the fundamentals of these studies in so far as their lives will ever be af- fected. The problem of the senior high in part is to offer worthwhile subjects to meet the varied interests and then to adapt the subject matter to the abilities of the pupils. The town must furnish the rooms and apparatus, the teaching force must organize the subject matter.
The exceedingly serious situation in the junior and senior high schools was discussed fully in the reports
-14-
of last year and definite recommendations made. It is impossible to maintain the high standard of the Plym- outh schools under the present conditions.
Miss Katharine A. O'Brien, Principal of the Junior High School, states,
"In my report of last year I emphasized the fact that there were more pupils than the school building could properly accommodate. This year with an enrollment of four hundred eight-one, provision had to be made for another classroom. To make this, the sewing room dur- ing the summer, was equipped with desks and chairs as a classroom, thus giving some relief, and a room in Lincoln Street School formerly used for drawing, is now used as the regular sewing room. The following distribution of pupils in the seventh grades, gives some idea of the crowded conditions in classrooms where the seating ca- pacity was originally planned for thirty-six pupils. At present there are in: 7A1-46, 7A2-47, 7B1-47, 7B2-47, 7C-45, instead of the usual 36, which is considered the maximum for efficiency.
"Pupils go to classes in three outside buildings; the High School for drawing, the Lincoln Street School for woodworking. It would be real economy to have these special classes housed in one building, as the time con- sumed going to and from these places shortens the especially during the winter months when it is necessary to wear outdoor garments."
The lack of adequate facilities, such as the gymnasium, auditorium and lunch room, were explained fully last year. With classes of 42-47 pupils it is absolutely impos- sible for each individual to receive attention to his indiv- idual needs. The strain also upon the teacher is excessive.
Of the 202 pupils who graduated in June from the eighth grade, or were passed on probation, over 190 ap- plied for admission to High School. This brought the high school enrollment to 490, an increase of 65 over the previous year. With conditions existing as described in
-15-
the several reports of last year, it was absolutely impos- sible to accommodate 65 more pupils. A double session was the only possible solution.
The upper three classes go from 8 a. m. to 12.30 p. m., and the freshmen from 12.45 to 4.30 p. m. In the morn- ing the periods had to be shortened several minutes, net- ting a total loss of 10 to 12 per cent. of the actual class time, while the freshman lost one full period besides shortened periods, netting a loss of over 25% of class time. This plan had some advantages for some parents and some children, but for the school as a whole it meant a decided loss in efficiency.
The disadvantages are these: -
1. The upper three classes are losing one-tenth of their actual class time.
2. The freshmen class are losing over one quarter of their actual class time.
3. The morning group do some more home study than on the old plan and the freshmen at least an hour a day more, but in many cases home conditions do not permit profitable home study.
4. There is little opportunity to give individual help after school hours as all the rooms are in use most of the day. This is a serious handicap.
5. Instead of coming to school alert mentally and phys- ically, the freshmen have lost much of their energy.
6. In many classes pupils work with the rooms lighted by electricity, especially during the winter months.
7. Ten teachers have classes partly in the forenoon and partly in the afternoon. This is a severe strain upon some of them.
8. Assemblies and other activities such as music and physical education have been curtailed.
9. Transportation costs have increased because of ex- tra trips involved from Manomet, Russell Mills, and Darby, while one pupil from Half-Way Pond has to be boarded in town. This total cost is $2,000 a year at present, and is apt to increase next year.
-16-
10. Janitor service was necessarily increased. This amounts to $540 a year.
11. Heating and lighting costs increased materially. A close estimate is $750 a year.
With the exception of new biology equipment and some additional room for typewriting, there is a lack of edu- cational facilities as stated in the reports of last year.
Mr. Wayne M. Shipman, Principal of the Senior High School reports as follows :
"There is every prospect of a larger enrollment next year. Next year's Sophomore and Junior classes will doubtless be larger, while the Freshmen group will prob- ably be about the size of the present class. This will mean crowded conditions again during the morning ses- sion, especially. Practically every room is now used every period. The two rooms not used all the time are two spec- ial rooms not adapted to regular class work. It will be hard to provide for the additional classes which will have to be formed. Again, as a year ago, may I express my earnest hope that the townspeople will see their way clear to provide adequate facilities for the proper education of the boys and girls of Plymouth."
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